Cravings
by CharmyPI-5 the VIII
Summary: We thought we knew the sewers, every nook and cranny. But it turns out there are still things hiding in the darkness that even we're not prepared for.


a/n

Haha! Another short project I have in mind, I just wanted to known if I could do this type of story. I hope you enjoy!

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_Though we spend our lives searching for answer about ourselves. We wonder what drives us to our actions, our thoughts. What few realize is that a lot of our answer lie in our body. Primal remnants that evolution refuses to let go of. Instincts that cling to the nervous system. It tells you when someone is staring at the back of your head. It warns you when you think you're alone in your own home. It reminds you to double check your locks and never sleep with your back to the door._

_It keeps you alive_

(#)-(#)-(#)-(#)

Don's knee met cold stone, his fingers running over the cracks that ran over the ground like mosaic. The dust just barely outlining a shoe. Just like the pair he had been following. Clean edges indicated fancy edged shoes. The kind you wore to dinner or to a event, but not for running around in the sewer. The next footfall was just a bit ahead, slanted to the side, more edge then foot. Drug through the dirt and dust. The man was hurt, probably scared.

Ok defiantly scared.

To the outside world, the sewer was nothing but a zest pool of germs, sewer water, and a rumored mutant alligators which had , almost rumored, to have a taste for blood and Chinese take out. Which was almost comical. It was enough to make him laugh.

Leatherhead was obviously a crocodile and preferred Japanese takeout.

People should really get their facts right before spreading rumors.

Donnie reached into his belt and drew out a flashlight. His thumb going over the side and clicking the light on and shining it over the ground. His presence had caused the dust to rise up like fine mist.

Except dust didn't make your nose itch.

His hand shot up to rub his nose holes (ask Mikey called them). Donnie was about the only person in the family who really read the paper. Well, Mikey read the comics, Leo would read the obituaries (for some reason Donnie had been meaning to ask him about) and Raph read sports (more often then none, it would send him into a tangent about how much he hated his favorite team).

Donnie read everything else (Leo normally told him if anyone he liked died). That's when he had read the article about Professor Abele Bryan. Donnie had been following his work since he could first spell

exstrophy-epispadias complex. While his breakthrough work really drew in attention, Donnie found himself drawn in by the charity work and by Professor Bryans own back story.

So when his name popped up again his eyes went right to the article. It turns out that he had been on his way home from a fundraiser when he had disappeared-

Something snapped right behind him. Already Don had grabbed his Bo staff, his neck was suddenly bound by a thick arm a hand grabbing his other wrist and holding it away from his body.

"Don't move." came a rough voice to his ear, "Unless you want you wanna be choked by your dorky duffle bag."

Dam it. How stupid could he be!? He jerked his body to the side, trying to free the grip that all but numbed his wrist. What the hell had he been thinking?! He jerked his body from side to side. Trying to kick his leg back and hit him in the knee.

Wait

Dorky Duffle bag?

With humiliating realization his body slackened, his free arm falling to his side and a irritating growl in his throat, "RAPH you ass hole."

The 'murderer' chuckled darkly. The grip around his neck and wrist loosened and Donnie yanked away, stumbling forward before spinning around and socking Raphael right in the beak. The 2nd oldest stumbling back with laughter, hand over his beak and a glint in his eyes that showed no regret, "What is WRONG with you?! I was scared to death!"

"Obviously, what kind of ninja lets someone sneaks up on them?!"

"The kind that-that forgets he has a older brother who takes joy out of scarring people!" his heart was still pounding, he turned and put his hand up against the wall, taking deep breathes, "You-you could of made me had a asthma attack!"

"Don't try the guilt trip bro. You're the one who decided to sneak off into the sewers alone." the laughter had faded, a 'lecture tone" that would make Leo proud, "You know betta then anyone how dangerous it is to go off alone."

"Ok 'old man from Zelda games'." Don turned back to the trail he had been following. Lucky in Raph's cruel prank the trail down the hallway hadn't been messed up, before looking back to the lecturing red masked turtle, " I think Professor Bryan fell down in the sewers last night. I'm trying to find him."

"That old man you like to fan girl over? Don't you have like10 posters of his up in your lab?"

"NO." Clearly Raph had miscounted. But he didn't want to tell Raph he actually had 13 of them, "his a scientist who puts all of his work for the public to see.," He moved forward again, shining his flashlight ahead ," I need to make sure he's not down here."

"And if he is? How are ya going to get him out? Most people tend to freak out when they see naked giant turtles."

Ah Raph, ever the optimist, "I'll think of SOMETHING. If you're' not going to help then leave." Don looked up to shine the light on the walls. It didn't look like the Professor had been using the walls for support. So atleast that was a good thing

"Well the cables out and I can't fix it. What else am I going to do to not be bored?"

Aka, Donnie had a companion. He would of rolled his eyes if he didn't already know that the cable was just fine. So Raph was just coming out o f concern. So instead he felt a smile crawl across his face, "Aright, but if we do run into Professor Bryan I don't want you to freak him out."

"Alright alright. So what did you bring in your Duffle Bag of wonders anyway?"

Don looked over into his duffle bag, zipping the bag open to glance inside, "Rations, a portable oxygen machine, my mini defibrillator." he mentally recounted, "a blowtorch, and a first aid kit."

"Did you bring your inhaler?"

"No." a solid wall came ahead. He turned his light to see the curve. He was sure they weren't' under the subway anymore. Which meant that headache medicine he had also brought wouldn't come in handy.

"Good thing I brought it then." Don could just barely hear Raph's finger tap against something plastic. Oh of course he would of brought it. That's why he had come to find him, Raph had run all the way here just to make sure that his inhaler, "You do know that I haven't had asthma attacks in years."

"If you mean last month at the Christmas party where you cried so hard you used up your entire inhaler, then yeah."

Don cast a glare at the smirking Raph. Like he needed to be reminded, "I was not CRYING. I had the hiccup."

"Whatever. Lets find your man crush and get back to the game."

"I thought you said the cable was broken Raphie?"

There was a pause with a irritated growl. Don glanced back long enough to smile at Raph. A comfortable silence falling over them. The light guided at the end expanded with the open space it ran against. After flashing the light at the ground to make sure the ground was solid, but the light was all but swallowed the light. A cold draft wafting up at his face, stinging his eyes.

"Drop off?" Raph called behind him

"Either that or a really cold mild black hole." Don directed the light towards the ground again, with nothing to bounce off of it just made a small stain n the shadows below. A sinking feeling in his chest.

"I think we know where your Science Dad went Don."

"W-we don't' know that-"

"I looked at the trail too Don. It doesn't look like he came back. So either he learned to fly , or he fell."

"Raph-"

"What else would of happened Don?" He could just see Raph glaring at him weakly, "he was probably hurt, dizzy and he would neva have seen it coming. "

No, that couldn't be. Don looked back the dark abyss. A sinking feeling going to his stomach. "Maybe Professor Bryan survived the fall. M-Maybe he's still alive. Maybe if we just go after-" He felt a hand go to his shoulder. He glanced back to see Raph's normally scowling angry face soften. Almost sympathetic and a mirror to the "your newest pet frog died" look he gave Mikey. Don wanted to glare and argue with him. But his drive that had sent him out from the warmth of his lab on a rescue mission began to fade. Sorrow taking its place. The arm around his shoulder pulled him away from the drop-off, a one armed hug that offered all the sympathy that couldn't be expressed by words. Don glanced back at the drop off before dropping his head against Raph's shoulder with a tired sigh.

The cold slippery stone beneath his feet suddenly shifted, a layer of brick going up and catching his toe. Don drew his foot back and tightened his stance, he could just barely see Raph do the same to the side. The arm around his shoulder tightening and pulling back, "subway." Raph verified, "We must have been down here longer then I thought. Midnight shift." though Donnie couldn't tell which of them he was trying to comfort.

Another shudder, the grinding of stone. Don mentally recounted the subway tunnels nearby.

None of them were THIS close, "Raph-"

Another shudder, the stone beneath his feet jerking out, Don shell hit the ground with a painful crack, dust swimming up. A hand gripped his arm, a show that Raph had been able to stay on his feet. But his vision was all but obscured by the painful swarming of dust. He felt the arm grabbing his forearm try to pull him up. Don braced his feet ready to get back to his feet-

A buck, the ground seemed determined to send them flying. Don's shell, acting like a slip and slide, went flying back , sliding back down the hall. The grip remaining on his arm but the strength he had felt holding him fade. Donnie jerked on the grip , the body that would of beaten him in almost any physical confrontation slammed against him. Don could just barely see red shimmer of red on his brothers scalp. Medical instincts kicking in, he pressed his hand over the wound. He could hear a faint moan go from his older brother.

Another shudder went through the earth, the ground Don had settled on jerked out, his body meeting cold wind.

The drop off

By instinct, his free hand grabbed the ledge that would lead to his death. His other arm circling under Raph's armpit and hooked up at his collarbone. Even though he had weight lifted with Raph, he could feel his muscles begin to stretch. He dug his fingers into Raph's skin, a burning in his eyes

"I'm sorry Raphie"

Hanging by a nail

"I'm so sorry-"

Another shudder went through the stone. The last piece of hope that kept him holding onto the wall broke free. His body meeting cold wind again , a dead fall. sending him pitching through dark abyss. A cry meeting his ears.

'DONNIE!"


End file.
